17 / 24
olygrafsnab JSC is a leading Bul-
garian wholesaler and distributor
of newsprint, duplex board, LWC
and other paper grades on the Balkan
market. Back in the early 1980s, Poly-
grafsnab was a key supplier of Russian
newsprint.
“We were originally UPM’s di-
rect competitors on the local market,”
says
Tzanko Komarov
, Chairman of
the Board at Polygrafsnab JSC. “Back
then, our company was a steady con-
sumer of various grades of paper, in-
cluding woodfree products, book pa-
per, SC and LWC grades. UPM’s news-
print deliveries mostly consisted of di-
rect shipments to printing plants coor-
dinated by the UPM office in Austria. “
A strategic change in UPM’s busi-
ness completely transformed the rela-
tionship between the two companies.
“The new team of representatives in
Sofia led by
Nelly Zarkova
changed
the sales philosophy in a way that ena-
bles our two companies to work togeth-
er towards mutual goals. We have now
become strong partners in the news-
print sector.”
Reliable as a Swiss watch
According to Komarov, the change has
brought considerable mutual gains.
UPM has significantly increased its lo-
cal market share, while Polygrafsnab
JSC has gained a dependable and trust-
worthy newsprint supplier.
“UPM is the biggest paper producer
in Europe. It has a reliable sales poli-
cy and a very well organized, knowl-
edgeable and highly cooperative team
of representatives on every major mar-
ket. All orders are handled very quickly
and the supplies arrive just on time, like
a Swiss watch. There is no doubt in the
quality and if any issues emerge, they
are handled rapidly in favour of the cli-
ent,” Komarov explains.
Polygrafsnab buys a wide variety of
UPM products besides just newsprint.
“We have chosen UPM’s products for
their high quality, stable runnabili-
ty, low consumption of ink and mini-
mal waste during the printing process.
Their variety, optimum grammage,
high brightness, excellent opacity and
smoothness have won our confidence,”
Komarov adds.
In the future, he sees further oppor-
tunities to expand cooperation between
UPM and Polygrafsnab. “UPM is a
predictable, strong and stable business
partner on whom you can rely to sup-
port your business strategy and achieve
better results. The company delivers
high-quality products, thorough knowl-
edge, strong support and great service.”
Bleak future for newsprint?
When asked about the future of the
newspaper industry, Komarov sees loss
of advertising revenues as the main
problem: sales have plummeted around
60% in the Bulgarian printed media.
“Sales worldwide are slowly de-
creasing and the drop in circulations is
quite sharp. Advertising has declined
radically in Bulgarian newspapers in
the last two years, so publishers are suf-
fering from a lack of fresh income,” he
says.
Another key trend is that newspapers
are becoming more visual. “Photos and
illustrations are being used much more
extensively as part of news reports.
Newspaper formats continue to grow
smaller, and the tabloid format is as
popular as ever.”
Komarov contends that the predicted
demise of newsprint is much exagger-
ated. “In spite of television and the In-
ternet bringing news to consumer fast-
er than newspapers – which still need
to be physically manufactured and dis-
tributed – newspapers will always exist
in one form or another.”
Strong bonds
in
Balkan
business
When former competitors become trusted partners, both
sides win. Polygrafsnab JSC’s close partnership with UPM
began as a rival relationship back in the early 1980s.
Text:
Mari Hirvi
Photo:
Polygrafsnab JSC
Fast facts:
Polygrafsnab JSC
n
Established in 1949, Poly
grafsnab JSC is the oldest
wholesaler of paper and board
in Bulgaria. With turnover total-
ling approximately €30 million
in 2015, it is currently a lead-
ing commercial supplier on the
Bulgarian market. Holding an
81% share of the local news-
print market, the company sup-
plies more than 52,000 tonnes
of newsprint annually.
Polygrafsnab JSC has a stake
in a number of basic coldset
printing houses in Bulgaria,
with plans to extend its interests
in other printing houses on the
Balkan markets.
The company collects 15,000
tonnes of waste newsprint annu-
ally and is the major collector
of white paper, magazines and
shavings from Bulgarian print-
ers.
P
UPM
NEWS 17